The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: My Ship

The song of the day for Saturday, October 31, 2026, is “My Ship.”

About This Song

“My Ship” was written by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin for the 1941 Broadway musical Lady in the Dark, starring Gertrude Lawrence. The song has had many fine recordings including those by Sarah Vaughan, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Judy Garland, Rosemary Clooney, and Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “My Ship” on April 9, 1961, for his album My Heart Sings. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“My Ship,” as well as My Heart Sings, is available on Apple Music.

I found this lovely recording of “My Ship” by Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, from their 1986 album Easy Living.

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Song of the Day: Honeysuckle Rose

The song of the day for Friday, October 30, 2026, is “Honeysuckle Rose.”

About This Song

“Honeysuckle Rose” was written in 1928 by Thomas “Fats” Waller and Andy Razaf for the 1929 revue A Load of Coal, at Connie’s Inn. The song has been widely recorded by artists including Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong and many more.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Honeysuckle Rose” in July 1995 for the album Here’s To the Ladies. This album was a tribute to the great women singers of the 21st century; “Honeysuckle Rose” was in tribute to Lena Horne, who recorded it with Benny Carter and His Orchestra in 1943 for the film Thousands Cheer.

“Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as Here’s To the Ladies, is available on Apple Music.

We have a nice YouTube video of Lena Horne and Benny Carter and His Orchestra from Thousands Cheer.

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Song of the Day: On the Sunny Side of the Street

The song of the day for Thursday, October 29, 2026, is “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”

About This Song

“On the Sunny Side of the Street” was written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields for the 1930 Lew Leslie’s International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence. Notable recordings include those by Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Cyndi Lauper, and Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Willie Nelson recorded “On the Sunny Side of the Street” in 2011 for Duets II. Marion Evans wrote the arrangement; Jorge Calandrelli conducted the orchestra. Willie Nelson plays some great guitar on this recording.

Duets II won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

“On the Sunny Side of the Street,” as well as Duets II, is available on Apple Music.

We’ve got the official video of Willie Nelson and Tony Bennett recording the song.

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Song of the Day: Right As the Rain

The song of the day for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, is “Right As the Rain.”

About This Song

“Right As the Rain” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1944 musical Bloomer Girl. The song has been recorded by artists including Barbra Streisand, Jessica Molaskey, Nancy LaMott, and Mildred Bailey.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Right As the Rain” on August 17, 1960, for Tony Bennett Sings a String Harold Arlen. Glenn Osser wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Right As the Rain,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen, is available on Apple Music.

We have Barbra Streisand singing “Right As the Rain” live at The Bon Soir nightclub in Greenwich Village in November 1962, just before her groundbreaking first album, The Barbra Streisand Album, was released in February 1963. Live at The Bon Soir was released in 2022.

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Song of the Day: When Do the Bells Rings For Me?

The song of the day for Monday, October 26, 2026, is “When Do the Bells Rings For Me.”

About This Song

“When Do the Bells Rings For Me?” was written by cabaret artist Charles DeForest.

About This Version

Tony Bennett sang “When Do the Bells Rings For Me?” live on April 12, 1994, for Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged, which was aired on June 1, 1994. It was the final song of the show. The album MTV Unplugged was released on June 28, 1994.

Tony Bennett was accompanied by The Ralph Sharon Trio (Sharon on piano, Doug Richeson on bass, and Clayton Cameron on drums).

MTV Unplugged won the 1995 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

“When Do the Bells Rings For Me?” as well as MTV Unplugged, is available on Apple Music.